


Mistaken Identity

by katling



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:00:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4320513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another prompt fill for Cullrian Prompt Saturday. This time is was: <i>Getting mistaken for husbandos in Halamshiral.</i> I'm not sure this fic needs more introduction than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

To say Cullen was uncomfortable in the Winter Palace would be a gross understatement. He would honestly have preferred to be facing Corypheus himself in single combat than be here amongst all these masks and frippery and lies and deceit. He had at least found himself a reasonably decent corner that allowed him to set up his defences but they seemed almost inadequate against the courtiers and nobles and wandering hands that pinched his bottom. He didn’t care how weak a man that noble was, he needed to learn to keep his hands to himself!

The gathering nobles around him parted and Dorian sauntered through, two wine glasses in hand. Cullen relaxed a little and even managed a weak smile for the Tevinter mage.

“My dear Commander,” Dorian said, handing over both of the glasses and setting to work straightening Cullen’s collar and sash. “Our good Ambassador is going to have your head on a platter if you wrinkle this outfit.”

“She shouldn’t have had it cut so tight then,” Cullen grumbled, forgetting for a moment the gathered crowd.

“Nonsense,” Dorian replied, still fussing with Cullen’s uniform. “It’s perfectly fitted and you look utterly dashing.” He smirked. “Perhaps not quite as dashing as me but you do come close.”

Dorian smoothed a hand down the front of Cullen’s chest then claimed one of the wine glasses. “And do stop scowling. You look like you’re fortifying your position under siege.”

“I _am_ under siege,” Cullen growled under his breath. “Why can’t they leave me alone?”

“Because you’re dashingly handsome and you have rank as the Commander of the Inquisition’s armies,” Dorian replied, clinking his glass against Cullen’s. “You’re polite and a fresh face in the court. You are utterly delectable.”

The look Dorian gave Cullen was full of teasing and just a hint of desire. Cullen had been seeing that look more and more often from Dorian and he wasn’t entirely sure which part of it he should be responding to – the teasing or the desire. If Dorian was just teasing, then any advances he made might ruin their friendship but if he ignored the desire, he might lose Dorian entirely. And that thought filled him with dread and pain.

“Commander!” One of the ladies who had been lingering all evening edged closer, her eyes alight with interest and mischief behind her mask. “You did not tell me your husband was here as well. For shame! And here you let me flirt with you!”

Both Dorian and Cullen froze but for once it was Cullen who recovered the quicker.

“My apologies…. my lady.” He honestly could not remember the woman’s name though they’d been introduced. Twice. “That was… very remiss of me. May I present Dorian Pavus?” 

Never let it be said that Dorian didn’t know how to play the Great Game in all its myriad of nuances. He smiled charmingly and bowed over the hand he’d been presented.

“My dear lady, I am honoured to meet you.”

“As am I with you,” the woman said with a giggle. “And as your husband has forgotten my name again, I am Lady Angelique DeVere.”

“He has a terrible memory for names,” Dorian said smoothly, shooting Cullen a look the warrior couldn’t quite decipher.

“But I am sure he is good at _many_ other things,” Angelique replied, her eyes alight with mischief.

Cullen blushed, well aware of the double meaning in the woman’s words and wondering if he’d just dug himself a hole he wasn’t going to be able to get out of.

“That he is,” Dorian replied roguishly. “And lucky for me, _I_ get to experience them.

The noblewoman giggled and smacked his arm lightly. “Oh, you are _wicked_ , Lord Pavus. Such thoughts to put into the mind of an innocent lady such as myself. I am entirely overcome. I shall have to retire to the garden to recover.” She turned to the bottom-pinching man and favoured him with a brilliant smile. “Will you not accompany me, my Lord?”

The man bowed deeply. He seemed terribly disappointed about something. “Of course, my Lady.”

He offered his arm and the two of them sailed off through the crowd. That was when Cullen realised the nobles that had been gathered around him like a slavering wolf pack had all wandered off seeking easier prey, leaving him and Dorian alone.

“Uh… Dorian,” he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

A sudden movement not far away drew their attention and they saw Adaar gesturing to Dorian. The mage nodded in return and handed his glass to Cullen. He paused for a moment after that to look at Cullen, a deep searching gaze that seemed to find what he was looking for. The smile he then gave was sultry enough to take Cullen’s breath away. The mage leaned in and captured Cullen’s lips in a searing kiss that lasted too long and not long enough. 

He pulled away and this time his smile was small and hopeful and his eyes held all sorts of promises Cullen had longed to see. Dorian let his hand brush over Cullen’s chest and as he turned away to join the Inquisitor, he said, “Hold that thought, _husband_. We’ll come back to it later.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can all blame earlgreyer for this. :D They wanted more and my muse bit 
> 
> This is fluffy. And sweet. And a little angsty. But mostly fluffy. I have no regrets! :D

It was done. Empress Celene had been saved, Gaspard was awaiting the headman’s axe, Florianne was awaiting judgement and Briala and Celene had been reconciled. The ball had taken on a distinctly party air in relief and celebration at all that had been accomplished and more food and wine had been brought out to help with that.

Cullen slipped away from the growing party and walked out onto one of the balconies, closing the doors behind him. He’d seen Bull heading for the balcony the Inquisitor had claimed and knew that there would be no need for him to keep up appearances in the ballroom any longer. He leaned against the balustrade and looked down into the palace gardens, his shoulders slumping as he finally relaxed.

Physically at least. The muscles along his shoulders and back might be finally unknotting themselves now that he was away from the pressure of the court but his mind was in turmoil over what had happened earlier with Dorian. He didn’t know what had possessed him to play along with Lady DeVere’s mistaken assumption that Dorian was his husband. Sheer desperation maybe, mixed in with a lot of wishful thinking seemed the most likely reason. And then Dorian had played along!

He sighed and slumped down a little further. Of course Dorian had played along. Cullen was sure he’d looked like a startled deer, completely and utterly out of his depth. Dorian had played along to help him out because underneath all his bluster, Dorian was a genuinely decent person who helped his friends and didn’t leave them floundering helplessly in the mire. The things he thought he’d seen in Dorian’s eyes before Adaar called him away… they couldn’t possibly have been real. They could only have been his imagination, him projecting what he wanted onto Dorian.

And oh, how he _wanted_ Dorian. He’d tried to deny it but ever since the man had stumbled into his arms outside of Haven, he’d felt drawn to Dorian and it had only gotten stronger at Skyhold. He’d done his best to ignore it. He’d had bad experiences with mages. Not romantically but in practically every other way. He hadn’t been able to see how he could ever be with a mage, how he could trust one that close, with his mind, his body, his heart. But Dorian…

Dorian had just sauntered through his reserve and his worries and his doubts and taken up residence in his heart without ever knowing what he was doing. Cullen could see himself trusting Dorian with everything, could picture placing himself in Dorian’s hands and never fearing that the mage would hurt him or use him. Perhaps he was being overly romantic, perhaps he was seeing things in Dorian that weren’t there but he didn’t think he was wrong.

“Cullen?”

Cullen gave a yelp and turned to see Dorian standing near the doors to the balcony with a very neutral expression on his face. He’d clearly just closed the doors again but Cullen hadn’t even heard them open, so deep in his thoughts he’d been.

“Dorian,” he said hoarsely then he swallowed and licked his lips. This was it. This was the moment when Dorian berated him for putting him on the spot like that earlier.

“Did you…” 

To Cullen’s surprise, a look of uncertainty and doubt washed over Dorian’s face and the mage looked down and to the side. He drew in a breath then raised his head and squared his shoulders like he was going into battle. 

“Kaffas!” Dorian muttered before closing the distance between them in a few strides. He pushed Cullen back against the balustrade and kissed him.

Cullen made a startled noise then he clutched at Dorian, pulling him even closer as he closed his eyes and returned the kiss with everything he had. He didn’t know what was happening but Dorian was kissing him and even if this ended in a punch or a spell or something else horrible, he wanted to be able to remember this as being utterly perfect.

By the time they were forced to end the kiss in order to simply breathe, Cullen was rock-hard and from what he could feel against his hip, so too was Dorian. He ignored that though and rested his forehead against Dorian’s, his hands still clenched in the material of the mage’s impeccable jacket. He knew he was crumpling the material but he didn’t want to let go, afraid that if he did, Dorian would disappear.

But his mind couldn’t leave this alone and before he could stop himself, he found himself asking, “What is this?”

Dorian gave a soft huff of a laugh. “You tell me… _husband_.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. He could almost _feel_ Dorian start to withdraw mentally and emotionally and he wrapped his arms around the mage and drew him tight against his body. “No! Not that! They were… so _relentless_ and I didn’t know how to get them to _stop_ and when Lady DeVere called you my husband, I grabbed at it. Partly to make them _go away_ but mostly because I…” He faltered then but he looked at Dorian and saw the doubt and fear in his eyes and forced himself to finish the sentence. “…I wanted it to be true.”

Wonder and hope and something he thought might be joy replaced the doubt and fear in Dorian’s eyes and the mage smiled at him in a way he’d never seen before. It was soft and sweet and melancholy.

“You do?” Dorian asked and there was a faint thread of disbelief in the question that Cullen suspected had less to do with him and more to do with Dorian’s past. 

“I do,” he said firmly then he blushed and chuckled.

Dorian frowned at him then realised what he’d just said and smiled. This one was much closer to his normal smile. “Aren’t we supposed to be standing in front of a Chantry priest when you say that?”

“I’d like that,” Cullen said before he could second-guess himself. He blushed. “I mean, not _now_ but maybe… someday?” He hurried on before he could blush enough to spontaneously self-combust. “But I… I’d like to court you first? If you’d allow that?”

Dorian had been chuckling softly at his blush but he stopped at that last bit and stared at Cullen in wonder. “I’ve never been courted before,” he admitted hesitantly, though there was a plaintive hope in his eyes that made Cullen’s heart ache. “In Tevinter, anything between two men is… superficial. A bit of pleasure, nothing more. Anything more would be a scandal.”

Suddenly the reason for Dorian’s doubt and uncertainly became plain. He’d accepted the superficial because he’d thought that was all he could have but he _wanted_ the more. Wanted it more than anything.

“We’re not in Tevinter and I would very much like to court you,” Cullen said firmly enough to make Dorian blush.

“The things you say,” the mage said with a melancholy whimsy that made Cullen swallow against the sudden lump in his throat.

He stepped away from Dorian then bowed and held one hand out. “May I have this dance, Dorian?”

Dorian’s lips curved in a smile and his face was alight with happiness as he replied. “I would be delighted.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look! Another chapter!
> 
> It's the final confrontation. Cullen frets, Dorian survives and Cullen says they have to invite Lady DeVere to their wedding.
> 
> Also, please note the change in rating. This chapter is the reason for that change.

Cullen paced back and forth on the battlements and tried to keep his temper in check. The Inquisitor had gone to confront Corypheus. This time, Maker willing, for the last time. Dorian had gone with Adaar and it was that more than the confrontation itself that had Cullen so on edge. He wished for something… _anything_ … to do but the bulk of his troops were still marching back to Skyhold from the Arbor Wilds. He’d already issued his orders to the soldiers here in the keep and overseen what preparations could be made. Now all he and everyone else could do was… wait.

Wait and pray that the Inquisitor succeeded. Wait and pray that he and those he’d taken with him came back.

Not for the first time, Cullen cursed the fact that his role demanded he stay at Skyhold except for situations like Adamant and the battle in the Arbor Wilds. He wanted to _be there_ , to march next to Dorian, to protect his lover and ensure they _both_ made it back.

He clenched his hands into fists, the leather of his gloves creaking. He knew his expression must be dire given the way the soldiers patrolling the battlements gave him a wide berth and walked past him quickly, hoping to avoid his attention. He’d feel guilty about frightening them but he suspected they knew why he was like this and had already forgiven him for his temper. While they’d exercised a certain amount of discretion, everyone knew anyway. Dorian had been nervous at first but when he’d been greeted with nothing more than smiles and kind but knowing looks, he slowly relaxed.

Indeed, since Halamshiral, he and Dorian’s relationship had only deepened. He’d kept to his word and courted Dorian and for all his complaints, he knew Dorian had enjoyed it as much as he had. He could remember each and every time he’d rendered the mage speechless and blushing and he treasured every one. 

Even better had been the night when Dorian had finally snapped and pushed up against the wall of his office. The mage had kissed him then fallen to his knees and sucked his cock until he’d been gasping for air and desperate to come. Then Dorian had risen to his feet and stripped naked right there in the middle of his office and demanded to be fucked. Cullen had locked the doors with fumbling hands then taken Dorian right there on his desk. He remembered how sweet Dorian’s cries had been and how beautiful the mage had looked sprawled out and writhing on his desk. How it had felt to slide into Dorian’s willing body and bring them both so much pleasure.

He came to a halt and stared unseeingly out at the Breach in the sky, his cheeks burning and his cock half-hard at the memories. There had been so many similar nights since that first one. On Cullen’s desk, his bed, Dorian’s bed. In the library late one night, forced to be so quiet because Solas was still reading below. He always suspected they hadn’t been quiet enough based on the flat and exasperated looks Solas had directed at him every time he’d passed through the rotunda the next few days. On the war table. In the shadows on the highest level of the Herald’s Rest, a night that still made Cullen’s entire body burn. He didn’t know how Bull knew what they’d done that night but… he _knew_. And teased. And on one memorable occasion, so late at night it was almost the next morning, on Josephine’s desk. And Maker help him if the Ambassador ever found out… though he wondered sometimes if she knew when she looked at him and blushed and giggled.

And now Dorian was out there, facing a mad man, facing almost certain death and there was nothing he could do except wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The wait was so long, so interminable, that he feared the worst but then the Breach flared and collapsed on itself, the explosion loud enough to be heard even at Skyhold. In its wake, the sky was calm and peaceful. The Breach was gone. Still, Skyhold was silent, waiting, until the horns of the lookouts sounded and Cullen – and everyone else – froze as he listened to the pattern. _Inquisitor’s party, all safe_.

The cheer that rose from all areas of the stronghold were deafening. All safe. They had won. Corypheus had been defeated and all… _all_ … were returning safely. Cullen leaned against the battlements for a moment and offered up a prayer to the Maker. He told himself it was for Adaar, for Cassandra, for all of them but it wasn’t. _Dorian_ had come back safely and that was all that he could think of.

He hurried down the stairs to meet the Inquisitor’s party and take his place with the other advisors. But his eyes were on Dorian, who looked tired and worn but when he met Cullen’s eyes, he smiled warmly, a promise in his eyes. He barely noticed when Adaar saluted the crowd, he registered but couldn’t bring himself to care about Solas’ absence since their expressions told him that it was something other than Solas having died. Then it was over and he was rushing down the stairs to where Dorian was, sweeping the mage into his arms and seeking his mouth for a kiss. For a moment, Dorian stiffened in his embrace then the mage’s arms were around him and he was kissing him back just as fervently. He could hear Bull’s coarse cheers and Sera’s whistle and Varric’s chuckle but he _didn’t care_.

The crowd had all but cleared by the time they surfaced in desperate need of air. Cullen rested his forehead against Dorian’s and they simply stood there in each other’s arms.

“You’re alive,” Cullen breathed.

“I am,” Dorian replied. He was leaning heavily into Cullen but the warrior was strong enough for both of them.

“Marry me.”

Cullen’s eyes widened as he realised he’d truly blurted that out aloud and he swallowed hard. Dorian drew back just far enough to stare at him, his eyes wide with shock and, as Cullen saw, full of a desperate hope.

“Did you…”

Cullen didn’t give him a chance to finish whatever he’d been planning on saying. “Marry me,” he said more firmly. 

The expression on Dorian’s face almost broke Cullen’s heart. It was hope and awe and shattering disbelief then it coalesced into a wondering smile.

“Yes,” Dorian said, blurting the word as though he was afraid that if he hesitated any longer, he might not get it out at all.

Cullen had never felt joy like this before. He threw his head back and laughed then kissed Dorian again.

“You said yes,” he said when they broke apart again.

“I did.” Dorian looked like he didn’t quite believe what was happening. 

Cullen grinned and started to draw Dorian towards the stairs that lead to his room. “I think we should invite Lady DeVere to the wedding.”

Dorian gave him a blank look in return then he suddenly laughed. “Oh, we definitely should.” 

He darted past Cullen and into his office and by the time Cullen caught up, Dorian was half-naked. Cullen locked the doors though he suspected no one was going to be bothering them tonight. He leaned against the door and watched as Dorian dropped his robes and his tunic on the ground. There were fresh bruises on Dorian’s chest and sides and he was at his lover’s side in a flash, his hands running over the purple and black marks.

“Nothing serious,” Dorian said, shivering a little at the feel of Cullen’s hands on his body. His weariness was dropping away with every soft caress, to be replaced by a desire that burned hotter with every minute. “Adaar was quite free with the healing potions once it was all done and dusted.”

Cullen made a harrumphing sound and dropped to his knees. He pressed light, feathery kisses on every bruise and then began to undo the laces of Dorian’s breeches. He slowly peeled the leather away from Dorian’s hips and down his legs, pausing only to pull off the mage’s boots before he discarded the breeches behind him. Dorian’s erection was straining the fabric of his smalls and Cullen rubbed his stubbled cheek against the hardness, drawing a collection of vowel sounds out of his lover as he backed him towards the desk.

Dorian sighed when he felt the wood of the desk against his arse and he looked down with half-lidded eyes as Cullen mouthed his cock through his smalls, the fine linen wet from that and from his own pre-come. He buried his hands in the fur around Cullen’s neck but he couldn’t decide if he wanted Cullen to stop and undress or continue what he was doing. In the end, Cullen took the decision out of his hands when he pulled Dorian’s smalls down and away and took him into his mouth.

Cullen looked up and took in the sight of Dorian arching back against his desk, his head thrown back. He could feel one hand clenched tightly in his mantle while the other one had a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the desk. It was such an erotic sight that he had to drop one hand down to rub at his own hardness in an attempt to relieve the pressure. 

“Cullen… Amatus… _please_ ,” Dorian breathed.

Cullen pulled off slowly and smiled at the breathy whine he got for that. “Please what?”

The whine turned into a moan as Cullen sucked his cock back into his mouth and Dorian forgot how to talk for a moment. He shifted the hand that had been buried in Cullen’s fur mantle to his lover’s hair, sliding into the blond strands gently.

“Please… fuck me,” he whined, no longer able to keep his hips still.

Cullen brought his free hand up to Dorian’s hips and encouraged him to fuck his mouth for a little while. Then he pulled off again and stood up. He waited until Dorian opened his eyes and began to pull off his armour. He didn’t even try to make a show of it but then, he didn’t need to. Dorian’s eyes darkened as he watched and slowly stroked his cock, not in an attempt to bring himself off but to stoke the fires that were already burning.

When he was naked, Cullen walked around his desk and opened the bottom drawer. He could feel Dorian’s eyes on him but he kept his movements slow and deliberate as he drew the vial of oil out of the drawer and placed it on the desk. He then began to slowly remove the piles of paper, the inkwell and everything else from the desk.

“Cullen,” Dorian said in a frustrated tone then he snatched up the vial of oil. 

Cullen removed the last of the objects from the desk and put them on the floor and when he turned around again, it was his turn to moan. Dorian had one knee up on the desk, spreading himself wide as he reached behind himself. Cullen swallowed and walked back around the desk. From this angle he could see that Dorian already had two fingers inside his arse and was pumping them in and out slowly but with determination.

Dorian slowed his actions and Cullen cleared his throat. “Keep going,” he said, his voice hoarse and full of want.

Dorian shot him a look and he could see the smirk curling his lover’s lips. But Dorian continued, quickly adding a third finger. Finally Cullen couldn’t stand it any longer, he strode forward and in a swift move, he pulled Dorian’s hand away and flipped him over. He pushed Dorian down onto the desk then pressed the head of his cock against the mage’s hole. There was a moment of resistance then Dorian relaxed and he slid into that slick heat.

They both groaned and Cullen leaned over until he could rest his head on Dorian’s chest. He felt the mage’s hands in his hair as he struggled for control. Dorian raised his head then leaned up to kiss him savagely.

“Fuck me!” Dorian growled.

Cullen drew in a sharp breath then grabbed hold of Dorian’s hips. He drew back out slowly then slammed back in before there could be any further complaints. Dorian cried out and arched on the desk, his hands scrabbling for purchase, and that broke the last of Cullen’s restraint. He pounded into his lover, his hands tight enough on Dorian’s hips to bruise, and it wasn’t long before his orgasm slammed into him and he howled as he emptied himself into his lover. He pulled out and sank down to take Dorian into his mouth again. He managed only two good long sucks before Dorian was curling off the desk and coming, filling his mouth with his seed. Cullen swallowed it down then slowly pulled off. He sank down to the floor and Dorian followed him, climbing into his lap and pressing kisses to his neck and shoulder.

It wasn’t until the chill wind coming in from the hole in the roof raised goose bumps that Cullen found the motivation to move. He nuzzled at Dorian’s temple and followed it with a kiss.

“Come on, love,” he murmured. “Let’s go upstairs.” Dorian whined and cuddled closer, making Cullen chuckle. “You’ll be more comfortable in a bed, love.”

Dorian whined again but climbed rather unsteadily to his feet. Cullen followed suit and they somehow managed to climb the ladder to his room upstairs. They collapsed into the bed and Cullen pulled the blankets and furs up over them. Dorian snuggled close again and he wrapped his arms around the other man. 

A comfortable silence settled over them and Cullen was half asleep when Dorian murmured, “Can we invite my parents to our wedding?”

Cullen frowned and looked down at his lover. Dorian seemed entirely unperturbed and even had his eyes closed.

“You… want to invite them? After what they did?”

Dorian chuckled sleepily. “No, but I want to hear the howls of anguish and outrage all the way from Tevinter when they get the invitation.”

Cullen laughed and pressed a kiss to Dorian’s hair. “Yes, we can invite your parents to our wedding but if they actually turn up, it’s all your fault.”

“They won’t.” Dorian shifted and nuzzled into Cullen’s chest. “Maevaris will though. You’ll like her.”

Cullen ran a hand through Dorian’s hair. “I’m sure I will. Now go to sleep.”

Dorian muttered something unintelligible then he relaxed into sleep. Cullen smiled and continued caressing Dorian’s hair and back. Corypheus was dead and they had both survived. They would get married and then… well, then they had all the time in the world to make decisions.


End file.
